11.49am: Bersatu MP Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar, and independent MPs aligned with Perikatan, Tebrau MP Steven Choong and Julau MP Larry Sng are spotted leaving in a bus through Gate 2 of the Istana Negara.

11.40am: Tanjong Karang Tan Sri Noh Omar is seen exiting Gate 2 of Istana Negara.

11.39am: Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa is also seen exiting Istana Negara in a black Toyota Alphard.

11.37am: Jelebu MP Datuk Jalaluddin Alias is seen leaving in a black Toyota Alphard, followed by Jempol MP Datuk Mohd Salim Shariff.

11.30am: Former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the first to leave Istana Negara. He was seen exiting Gate 2 and waved to members of the media as he drove off.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin was seen exiting the palace in a black Toyota Alphard just after Najib.

11am: The session via video conference between the King and 17 Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs from Kuching, along with independent Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang has ended.

GPS parliamentary chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the MPs were called one by one to verify the contents of their statutory declarations and that their choice of prime minister candidate was made voluntarily. He added that Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was in Kuala Lumpur and would meet the King at Istana Negara. GPS has 18 MPs.

10.44am: The second bus ferrying a small group of Independent MPs friendy with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) enters through the palace gates. Julau MP Larry Sng is spotted seated in front.

10.38am: A group of 41 MPs from Barisan Nasional arrives in a bus at Gate 2 of Istana Negara with a convoy of heavily tinted vehicles accompanied by the police.

It is understood that the 41 MPs came ahead of their scheduled 11.10am audience as they are required to undergo a swab test.

Umno's Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was not on the invite list to meet the King.

10.25am: Several Barisan Nasional MPs including Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tan Sri Annuar Musa are spotted boarding a bus at World Trade Centre KL to head towards Istana Negara for an audience with the King.

10am: The first group of 24 lawmakers from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia scheduled to meet the King has not been seen entering the palace, hinting that the Sarawakian MPs, who are in Kuching, are most probably having their audience over videoconferencing.

9.35am: Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali has arrived at Gate 2 of the palace.

9.24am: Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun seen entering palace grounds.

PETALING JAYA: The 114 Members of Parliament who gave the name of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as their choice for the next Prime Minister have been called to the Istana Negara on Thursday (Aug 19) for an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, said sources.

“It is believed that the King will be verifying the contents of the statutory declarations sent to the King, naming their preferred candidate,” said the source.

This comes after the Istana Negara requested all MPs from all political parties to send statutory declarations stating their preferred choice of candidate for the ninth Prime Minister to the King before 4pm on Wednesday (Aug 18).

The MPs are from Barisan Nasional, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Perikatan-friendly Independents.

The palace has requested the MPs to be present for an audience with the King at staggered times in five separate groups.

The first group of 24 MPs from GPS and Bersatu MPs from East Malaysia are scheduled to meet the King at 10am.

“Top on the list of this first group is Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof from GPS.

“The second group comprising of 25 MPs from Bersatu, Umno and three Independents will have the audience with the King at 11.10am.

“Former prime ministers Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Najib Razak are in the second group, along with Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Khairy Jamaluddin.

“The third group will meet the King at 2pm and former deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri is in this group.

“This group has 25 MPs from Umno and Bersatu, including Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and with Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin,” said the source.

“The fourth group will have an audience with the King at 3.10pm.

“MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M Saravanan along with Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein are among those in this fourth group.

“The fifth group is to meet the King at 4.20pm and comprises 18 MPs from PAS, led by PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang,” said the source.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by THE STAR

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